In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, amidst the towering skyscrapers that define Malaysia's capital, there stood an office building. It was not the building I work in, just a building I passes by everyday on my walk to work from where I parked my car. Guarding its entrance was a security guard of foreign origin. I don’t get to see him every morning, likely because he works in a shift routine. However, whenever he is working in the morning, as I pass by, he would greet me with a “Good morning!” along with a hand salute and his smile ever-present. Of course, in response I would reply with a good morning greeting along with a smile and a humble nod. I had noticed this particular security guard did the same to anyone every morning be it they are passers-by just like myself or occupants of the building he is working at. Some would nod in acknowledgment, some would return the greeting with a smile, while others would be lost in their thoughts, barely noticing his presence.
All these while I never had the courage to strike a conversation with him until now. Recently he was in shift and I made the move to approach him. His name was Rahul, a man hailed from a distant land, Nepal but now found himself amidst the bustling streets of our capital. I threw him the question as to why he remained undeterred every morning to greet anyone he came across even though some of them are just passers-by like myself. For him, the true reward lay in the smiles he brought to others, in the warmth of human connection forged through simple greetings and gestures of goodwill. It struck me hard what Rahul did to spread kindness amidst the urban chaos was something so basic that many had pay no attention. He was happy that I approached him and get a scoop of his story before I quickly hurried back to work that morning.
From that day onward, Rahul's greetings echoed with newfound significance, a reminder to all that heroes are not always found in capes and costumes but in the everyday actions of ordinary people like him. It was indeed a true testament to the power of kindness, proving that no act of goodwill is ever too small to make a difference in the world.
Candid shot because he's camera shy
